1. Technical Field
Embodiments disclosed herein relate to the field of thin film optical devices. More particularly, embodiments disclosed herein are related to fabrication techniques and methods for using optical elements and optical computation elements in optical computation systems.
2. Description of Related Art
Multivariate Optical Elements (MOEs) are examples of optical computation elements that have been used in the past to perform optical analysis of fluids and material composition of complex samples. MOEs can be constructed by providing a series of layers having thicknesses and reflectivities designed to interfere constructively or destructively at desired wavelengths to provide an encoded pattern (wave-form) specifically for the purpose of interacting with light and extracting an optical spectrum. The construction method for MOE's is similar to the construction method for an optical interference filter. For a complex waveform, an optical computation element constructed by conventional interference filter means may require many hundreds of layers. In addition to being complicated to make, such constructed MOEs may fail to perform adequately in harsh environments. For example, the down-hole in a drilling setup for oil exploration or extraction may include adverse temperature, shock, and vibration conditions that may affect the performance of MOEs having too many layers, with extremely tight tolerances.
What is needed is to provide simplified MOEs that can provide complex spectral characteristics with a significantly reduced number of layers. What is also needed are MOEs that perform properly in harsh environments such as encountered in oil exploration and extraction drilling.